My Breakthrough Covid Experience - Act 3

I am in the functional recovery stage of a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Click here for my blog about the beginning of this infection.

Click here for my blog about the middle part of this infection.

In both of the above posts I mentioned that I have been doing a candida cleanse based on Ann Boroch's 90-day protocol for more than a month and was able to maintain the cleanse for the entire time of my quarantine.

Here is a very general re-cap of the candida cleansing diet:

• Completely cut out sugar, gluten, dairy, fungus, fermentation, acidic food and drinks, preservatives, additives, refined vinegars and oils.
• Fruits: One a day of fresh (not dried), extremely low sugar varieties such as a handful of blueberries, grapefruit and green apples. Lemon juice is alright as a flavoring. Avocados are fine in addition to the one fresh fruit per day.
• Vegetables: all except corn, peas, mushrooms and potatoes. Limit or cut yams, squash, and nightshades.
• Grains: the ones that are actually seeds (quinoa, millet, amaranth), brown rice and buckwheat.
• Nuts and seed: avoid cashews, peanuts and pistachios.
• Meat: red meat, poultry, eggs, fish.

For anyone interested, Boroch's The Candida Cure Cookbook has a summary of all relevant information about symptoms of candida overgrowth. I have enjoyed making the cleanse-friendly soda and Paleo bread recipes, and have gotten great entree ideas.

Even without the supplement and herbal teas included in Boroch's 3-month protocol, anyone who adheres to the above diet for 3 months will without question experience health benefits. I mention this because I attribute the lack of inflammation in my intestines as the main reason I had a short phase of mucous congestion and discharge (Days 3 - 5). 

Progression of my infection:

Monday (Memorial Day): woke feeling cool & rested with some awareness of tonsil pressure. Coughed out some thick phlegm. Hungry for breakfast. After morning routine noticed a very slight temperature at forehead and back of neck. half or less the increase of previous day.

• Treatment: followed the impulse to eat a "stronger" breakfast with eggs. All tea preparations included restorative/nutritive herbs. Continued with taking capsules of essential oils. Spent hours in the kitchen making roast chicken and vegetables. More stretching to move lymph in the evening.
• Response: Nasal sound and throat clearing, coughing produced clear or yellowish phlegm. I heated up and sweat in the evening, changed pajamas during the night.

Tuesday: again cool in the morning, still felt some pressure in tonsils. Productive coughing, but less than on Monday. Still aware of fullness in tonsils. Practiced yoga which felt great.

Test # 4, a clear negative!

• Day 11 test: clear negative antigen test!
• Treatment: continued with all supplements, herbal preparations, essential oils and did a bodywork session!
• Response: Nasal sound and throat clearing during the day. Not a hacking cough, just one productive cough at a time. While working I sweat easily. Again heated up and sweat in the evening and at night enough to change my shirt.

Wednesday: woke somewhat tired, still productive coughing and still the tonsil thing! Short yoga practice due to an early appointment.

• Treatment: all supplements, herbs and essential oils the same as Tuesday. Work and some biking around town.
• Response: good appetite for dinner. Throat and voice cleared up some during the day. Sweat easily during work and sweat at night, but not enough to soak my shirt.

Thursday: Still with the tonsils! Very good yoga practice which produced a normal amount of sweat.

Negative. Ready for yoga in a group.

• Day 13 test: clear negative antigen test.
• Treatment: nutritive supplements and herbal teas. Changing tactic on essential oils, I started an anti-parasitic blend (previously was using anti-fungal/anti-microbial oils). Continuing with large quantities of restorative herbal tea.
• Result: continued reduction of the sensation in my throat, but not completely cleared. Still sweating easily when I do bodywork, and sweat during the night.

Friday: This tonsil thing is getting old. Practicing yoga at pre-sickness capacity. The infection has had no impact at all on my cardiovascular strength or breathing capacity.

• Treatment: switched herbal tea to a single restorative/nutritive one, continuing with the anti-parasite protocol as it is an optional part of the Candida Cure. I remembered a specific essential oil that cleared a lymphatic concern a few years ago, so applied it topically to my lymph nodes and took a gel-cap full at night.
• Result: sweating at work and still some sweat during the night. My neck smelled good.

Note about my work:

I do mat bodywork, which is an Asian-style therapy done on a futon. The client is fully clothed, allowing me to move their joints freely as well as lever them into stretches. Since I am close to the ground, and using correct body mechanics, I can lift around 30% of a person's bodyweight for decompression stretches or to traction joints. I move and change positions constantly in the course of a session. I have always generated heat while working, but for the first 5 days back from my Covid Quarantine I sweat much more than usual.

**For the record, all clients who received sessions from me this week were fully informed of my Covid infection and when I got the first negative antigen test. They chose to keep their appointments. I have returned to wearing a mask while working, and will maintain this through next week.

How did I get all those rapid antigen tests?

The first two came from my state. I ordered a box months ago when the FDA Emergency Use Authorization dropped a bunch of iHealth Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Tests on the states. Two tests per box, I received Test Set 1. These both gave positive results (Days 2 & 6). 

My housemate has access to tests at her workplace. She brought home two "on/go one" Covid-19 Antigen Home Tests so we would have a stash. I used one of them to get my "almost negative" result on Day 9. 

The owner of my office location has a stash of Binax NOW Covid-19 Antigen Self Tests onsite, so I used one of those for the first negative result on Day 11.

When I was reporting my results from the first two positive tests I noticed that the CDC has a link for people to receive 8 free tests, which FDA had released to the Post Office for distribution at the end of last year I believe. I ordered them on Day 2 or 3 and they (2 packages with 4 test each) arrived on Wednesday (Day 12). This provided me with a different test (Test Set 2) to use for the negative result on Day 13.

So what now? Is this persistent tonsil thing my version of "lingering symptoms"?

Starting on Friday, which would be Day 14, I have been continuing to anoint my neck/lymph nodes twice a day with the lymph decongesting essential oil, and take 10 - 15 drops internally twice per day. I notice a decrease in the enlargement of my tonsils every day, which seems to peak in mid-afternoon. They feel the most normal upon rising and just before bed.

I am willing to concede that the sweating at night could be a symptom of pre-menopause. However I believe it is distinctly related with the tonsil enlargement, as this was not happening before my Covid infection. This tells me that there is still a bacteria engaging my secondary lymphoid organs which is interesting because Covid is a virus.

I plan to keep using the lymph decongesting essential oil and start diffusing anti-bacterial essential oils for this week. I don't know what will work, but neither of these things will hurt.

Please feel free to pass on any of my blogs if you know someone who might benefit from this account of my experience. I have not used any synthetic drugs to alleviate symptoms. All herbs, supplements and essential oils were either in my possession or easy to come by at a natural food store. During the quarantine phase I received 2 fresh food drops from friends who offered to deliver groceries.

May we all enjoy abundant health,

Christian